Before Biden and Putin Meeting, Geneva Becomes A Witness When Reagan and Gorbachev Reduce Nuclear Weapons.

Villa La Grange will be the venue for President Joe Biden's meeting with President Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Cc1698)

JAKARTA - The meeting between the President of Russia and the President of the United States (US) has always attracted attention, even long ago when the Red Bear Country was still called the Soviet Union.

Next week, the leaders of the two countries will meet again after a series of heated situations between the two countries. Starting from the US election intervention, the Ukraine issue, to the latest Russia decided to leave the 'Open Skies Agreement' earlier this week.

The location and time for the meeting of the two superpower leaders have been determined, namely, Villa La Grange, located in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, as stated by a spokesman for the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TASS reported, Thursday, June 10.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry earlier thanked the two countries for the trust, which was expressed by choosing Geneva as the venue for dialogue. A number of security measures have been taken ahead of this meeting.

View to Lake Geneva from Villa La Grange. (Wikimedia Commons/Romano1246)

The villa is closed to visitors on 8-18 June. Regional authorities announced tightened security measures on June 14-17. In particular, unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) flights are prohibited in Geneva. A special security zone has been created around the summit venue, covering the adjacent Parc La Grange and Parc des Eaux Vives.

The press service of the Russian Presidency said earlier that Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden would discuss the prospects for Russia-US relations, strategic stability issues, and pressing global issues, including the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and how to resolve regional conflicts.

Nuclear weapons

While the villa chosen is one of the historic buildings, Geneva also has a special history of meeting the United States with the Soviet Union and/or Russia.

Built in the 18th century, Villa La Grange overlooks Lake Geneva in a calming setting, perfect for soothing conversations. This classic villa is set in the garden along the left bank. Adorned with redwood trees, rose bushes, and classic fountains. The park offers stunning views of Lake Geneva and sailboats.

Villa La Grange. (Wikimedia Commons/Romano1246)

Being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Geneva in Switzerland is also a historic place for relations between the two countries, long when Russia was still the Soviet Union, as reported by Reuters.

During the Cold War era, US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held their first summit in Geneva in November 1985 and agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals.

Then, in 2009, Geneva also became a meeting place when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a yellow box bearing a red 'reset' button to symbolize better relations under President Barack Obama.

For information, it is planned that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will accompany President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin.